Railway-rail joint



N0 Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. .W. KENNEDY. RAILWAY RAIL JOINT.

No. 510,268; Patented Dec. 5, 1893.

SSheets Sheet 2. .K EDY.-

Y JOINT L RA (No Model.)

No. 510,268.. Patented Dec. 5, 1893.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

L.W.,KENN EDY. RAILWAY RAIL JOINT.

N0 510,268. Patented Dec. 5, 1898.

UNITED STATES Q PATENT OFFICE.

LEONARD W. KENNEDY, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

RAILWAY- RAIL JOINT.

sPEOIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,268, dated December5, 1893.

Application filed February 18, 1893. Serial No. 462,906. (No model.)

T0 at. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD W. KENNEDY, a citizen of the United States,residing in Oakland, Alameda county, State of California, have inventedan Improvement in Railway- Rail Joints; and I hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a joint for railway rails, which I call ananchored anvil rail joint.

- It consists in certain details of construction which will be morefully explained by ref erence to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure l is a view showing the form in which the support is interposedbetween the webs and flanges of the rails and the rail-heads abuttogether. Fig. 2 is a view in which the intermediate support is extendedup between the heads of the rails. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showinga V-shaped joint and the fastenings. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of thesame. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing diagonal beveled meeting endsof rails and joint and fish-plate fastenings. Fig. 6 shows the tie rod.Fig. 7 shows the rail without bottom flange. Fig. 8 shows the blocksformed with the tie.

Fig. 9 shows a fish-plate and block formed together. Fig. 10 is a sideview of Fig. 8.

,Great difficulty is experienced in making suitable joints between the.meeting ends of railway rails. On account of the constant pounding andvariation of weight when heavily loaded trains pass over such joints,they are continually rising and falling with reference to each other,and the passage of the wheels over these unequally supported ends causesa constant hammering which soon spreads and batters the rail so that itmust be repaired or replaced.

My invention contemplates the interposition of an anvil block or supportwhich extends between the meeting ends of the rails, and serves as a tieand support therefor.

A and B are two rails which meet and require to be supported in linewith each other. For this purpose I have shown a block 0 formed with abase D extending transversely from it, and of sufficient size to providea broad support upon the tie or other surface where it is placed. Thisblock is made of any suitable or desired length in the direction of theline of the rails, and the flanges and webs of the rails may be cut outso as to allow the block'to be introduced beneath the heads E of therails which project over it at their meeting points, as shown in Figs.1, 2 and 4; In some cases the blocks for the two rails are rolled withan iron tie, and project upward from it, in-which case the tie binds therails and prevents spreading. In other cases the blocks are formed withthe fish-plates on one side, so that when bolted to the rails, theblocks extend between the ends of the rails, and form the joint.

In Fig. 1, I have shown the supporting anvil of such length,and theflanges and webs of the rails cut away to such an extent, that the headsof the rails abut together above this support.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the support made of greater length and havinganextension 0' of the same shape in transverse section as the heads of therails, and of sufficiently less length than the base of the support, sothat while this extension projects up between the meeting ends of therails, the base extends in each direction beneath the heads of therails, the webs and flanges being cut away as before described to admitthe support to lie between them. The base flange D extends outtransversely in each direction',"as before described, and serves asasufficientsupport for the joint connection.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the rails having the heads out V- shaped and theintermediate head C of the support has corresponding V- shaped channelscut in it to receive the heads of the rails. The webs and flanges of therails are cutaway, as previously described, to admit the body 0 of thesupporting anvil between them.

G G are fish-plates suitably formed to clasp the support 0, andto-extend upon either side of it along the webs of the abuttingrails,bein g secured thereto by bolts in the usual manner.

The central portion of the fish-plate, shown in Fig. 3, is curvedoutwardly and has a recess made in it to fit over the projecting sidesof the supporting anvil, while the ends of the fish-plate extend alongclosely against the opposite sides of the webs of the rails.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the support block made with large transverseextensions which are also sloped down each way from the rails, and arefirmly boltedupon the'ties or other supports. The rails abut againstthese supports, as previously described, and may have their ends eitherat right angles or formed'in V-shape as shown in Fig. 3, or beveled,with the inclines extending from the one side to the other, the head ofthe anvil support which projects up between the rails beingcorrespondingly shaped, so that the rails will fit against it,-as shownin Fig. 5.

The rails of each trackmay be tied together by rods which unite theanvils when they stand opposite each other as shown in Fig. 6, and thusprevent spreading.

Iron ties'may'be made with the anvil blocks rolled asapartof the tie,and at the proper distance-apart, as shown at Fig. 8, sothat the railsofeach" line of the track abut against the anvil blocksand are properlysecuredby the fish-plates. be rolled with a fish-plate upon one sidehaving ends extendingin each direction so as to be bolted to theabutting rails betweenwhich the block projects, and the fish-plate uponthe opposite side is bolted on in the usual manner,

or if the anvil block is made separate and introduced between the railsas previously described, independent fish-plates" may be employed tounite the parts.

A joint constructed in the manner herein described reinforces andstrengthens the joints,makes them smooth by dividing the spaces allowedfor expansion, and the solid interposed anvil piece receives theprincipal force of the blow ofthe wheels, thus protecting the ends ofthe rails, and preventing their brooming, as it is termed. It alsoeliminates the hinge motion of the present joints, thereby. preventingthe blowing of the dry,and the pumping of the soft wet road-bed'frombeneath, thus preserving a smooth even track, and reducing the cost ofmaintenance of roadbed and rolling stock. It anchors each rail so firmlyas to segregate the expansion and contraction, and prevents its beingcommunicated from one to another and becoming cumulative. It guaranteesexemption from crawlingon grades, or spreading, and the extensions orbase supports make it impossible for the rails to turn.

In some cases it may be'desirable to make rails light by rolling themwithout the bottom flanges. The ends of the rails will thus be unitedand supported by the anvil joints-and The anvil-blocks may also theintermediate portions by chairs slotted to receive the lower edge of thewebwhich is suitably fixed therein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A railway joint consisting of an anvilsupport for the head adapted tobe fitted between the rails in seats formed by cutting away portions ofthe webs and flanges.

2. In a railway joint, the rails the adjoining ends of whose websandflanges are cut away, and an anvil-support fitted in said cutawayportions and supporting the heads at their meeting ends.

3. A railway rail joint, consisting of an anvil support having atransverse base supported upon the foundat-iontiesan upwardly extendingblock fitting between the endsof the webs and flanges which are cut awayfor the purpose, and beneath the heads of the rails which rest directlythereon, substantially as herein described.

4. A railway rail joint consisting of a block interposed between theflanges and webs of two abutting rails which are cut away to receiveitand beneath the headasaid block having an extended base adapted to besupported upon the foundation ties, and an upwardly projecting headcorresponding in shape with the heads of the abutting rails and formingan independent section between the meeting ends of saidrails,substantially as herein described.

5. A railway rail joint consisting of rails having-webs and flanges cutaway beneath the headset said rails,ablock interposed between said websand forming'a support heneath the heads of the rails, said block havuponthe foundation ties, fish-plates fitting the opposite sides of the websof the rails and adapted to claspthe interposed anvil block and boltswhereby said plates are secured to the rail flanges upon each side ofsaid blocks, substantially as herein described.

6. A railway rail joint consisting of anvil blocks rolled'as a part ofmetallic ties,pro jecting upwardly therefrom and adapted to fit betweenthe adjacent ends of the rails, and fish-plates by which the ends of therails and the interposed anchored blocks are united, substantially asherein described.

h In witness whereof I have hereunto setmy and.

LEONARD W. KENNEDY.

Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, Gno. H. STRONG.

1n g an e'xtendedbase adapted to be supported

